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INSIGHT: Why Tanzania should be on investigation list

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The youth participate in a march to protest against poaching in Tanzania. PHOTO | FILE
By T elesphor Magobe,The Citizen Reporter Posted Saturday, December 28 2013 at 12:03 IN SUMMARY

Tanzania has entered the worlds record of shame and of the nations that commit atrocities, but pretend they are for democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law

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Dodoma by the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Lands, Natural Resources and the Environment on the Assessment of the Crackdown on Poaching on Friday last week, unveils what shouldnt have happened in a country like Tanzania. The crackdown on poaching demonstrates an image contrary to what Tanzania has been portraying to the world for it has shown our nation is a wolf in sheep skin! The report states that flagrant human rights violations were committed in various parts of the country in the name of the crackdown on poaching. Sadly, the operation itself lacked proper legal procedures and was discriminatory in nature for it targeted a certain group of people and there appears to have been communication to exclude politicians at all levels perhaps for fear that they could have made

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noise, while ordinary people could easily be silenced. But as the old adage says facts are hard things, so ordinary people made noise! What was supposed to go unreported has been disclosed for it is possible to repress people for some time, but not all times. The Home Affairs minister, Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi (before resignation), according to Mr James Lembeli, admitted that although the operations objective was good, some challenges like cruelty to livestock and violence against suspects was caused by some operation team members. While some suspects were brutally tortured, others were made to suffer permanent disabilities or death. Thus, anti-poaching turned into an anti-civilian operation. The use of excessive force against civilians, however, has often been criticised, but the government has not taken the trouble to look into it and rectify it. Instead, excessive force has been used as a means to achieve an end and make the country look peaceful! ... some villagers, local leaders and government officers were arrested and humiliated in public. The whereabouts of some of the arrested suspected illegal ivory dealers are unknown even as the Committee visited operation areas. (To date) the whereabouts of three Osteti young men in Kiteto, Nyafuka Ngonja, Ngonja Kipana and Mswaya Karani, are unknown, reads part of the report in section 6.2(i). Some of the suspects were in their birthday suit, meaning naked,they were humiliated in public and some women were sexually abused. Ali Nyenge, 38, from Iputi Ward in Ulanga District alleged he had his clothes removed, salty water poured on his body and then whipped in front of his son aged 11. He further alleged he was also forced to draw a pythons picture on his thigh using a razor-blade. Neema Moses alleged she had her clothes removed and forced to have sex with her in-laws and later she had a bottle inserted and pressed into her private parts, reads part of the report in section 6.2(ii). It further says, some women alleged to have been raped and sodomised. One woman alleged she was raped by two soldiers at night. Another woman from Matango Ward in Bariadi District alleged to have been raped by three soldiers at gunpoint. Sakasaka councillor in Meatu District Peter Samuel alleged to have been humiliated and tortured while naked with his body tied upside-down and was forced (to do the impossible, that is) to make love to a tree. Following unbearable torture, some of the operation interrogation camps were nicknamed Guantanamo (Ruaha), Golgotha (Ngorongoro), Duma and Andajega (Serengeti), reads part of the report in section 6.2(iv). According to Arusha Urban MP Godbless Lema (Chadema), who said he had some photos he was going to submit to Speaker Anne Makinda, one suspect had a screw driver inserted in his urethra and forced to admit he was a poacher and another had a six-inch nail hammered through his ear lobe in Tarime District, Mara Region. Mafia MP Abdulkarim Shah (CCM) said some of the suspects were forced to have sex with carcasses to force them admit they were poachers. The report also shows that some head of cattle found grazing in national parks were shot if the owner failed to pay a fine and if the fine was paid, the amount was often higher than what appeared on the receipt. For instance, a livestock keeper was fined Sh10 million, but the receipt showed only Sh1 million, implying Sh9 million would have been pocketed. Some of the suspects houses were set ablaze and their crops destroyed. Consequently, hundreds of households are now facing food shortages and have no shelter. There were also testimonies that, some livestock keepers, who were able to give bribes had their cattle allowed to freely graze in national parks and the operation did not touch them. Thus, the entire operation smelt of corruption, according to the report and testimonies of some MPs and villagers. Wegesa Kirigiti from Remagwe Village and Peter Masea from Mrito Village (Tarime), Mohamed Buto (Masasi) and Gervas Nzoya (Kasulu) are among the suspects, who lost their lives during the operation. Although the operation aimed at cracking down on poachers, the atrocities committed in my opinion amount to crimes against humanity, as stipulated in Article 7(1)(a), (f), (g) and (k) and 7(2)(a) and (e) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Therefore, all law enforcers and their collaborators, who participated in this ugly operation should be investigated and the guilty ones prosecuted. This would be the only way to ensure justice is seen as being done and the government restores public trust.
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2 days

mamahelen ago

Human rights abuse is rampant in Tanzania, it is not known because majority of Tanzanians do not know their rights and therefore never complain. Our education is so bad that majority of us feel hopeless and accept the abuse from our leaders, The abuse is happening everyday no protest from Tanzanians, that is why Tanzania is classed as a pieceful country we should be classes as Nchi ya Wajinga.

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3 days

Namanya Julius ago

well when E.Africans who were kicked out of TZ in a humiliating manner complained of torture, dispossession inter alia, their pleas fell on deaf ears partly because of nationalistic/chauvinistic way analysts on both sides of the divide tended to make their arguments. Now it is clear to all sundry that the TZian nationals are not immune to abuses. As someone who once lived briefly in rural TZ, i know the security apparatus can be brutal. nevertheless what is described in this report is shocking and beyond any human imagination.

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5 days

richard ago

It was deplorable,unbelievable, unbearable, unbecoming,uncouth,uncultured,unmannerly, irresponsible, lack of etiquette, ICC should investigate the government supervisors, that is the Premier and his ministers and not excluding the Chief of Defense Forces and the IPG, no wonder we have not heard any results regarding the abduction and torturing of Dr Ulimboka. Mr Kibanda, the Arusha bomb attackers, killing of Mwangosi under close security forces supervision and astonishingly the commander was promoted by the then minister of home affairs! It's abomination.

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